Billions set aside for post-Saddam Iraq turns up in Lebanese bunker

Rory Carroll, The Guardian
12 Oct 2014 at 19:08 ET

Stuart Bowen, who investigated corruption in Iraq, says US and Iraqi governments ignored appeals to recover money

More than $1bn earmarked for the reconstruction of Iraq was stolen and spirited to a bunker in Lebanon as the American and Iraqi governments ignored appeals to recover the money, it has been claimed.

Stuart Bowen, a former special inspector general who investigated corruption and waste in Iraq, said the stash accounted for a significant chunk of the huge sums which vanished during the chaotic months following the 2003 US-led invasion.